1:19 AM,
Oct. 8, 2012

Yankees starter CC Sabathia went 8 2/3 innings to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the AL Division Series on Sunday night.

Written by

Chad Jennings

During the Orioles' magical season, the bullpen was their greatest strength. For the Yankees' inconsistent offense, Russell Martin was often the biggest scapegoat.

But everything starts over in the postseason, and the Yankees reasserted themselves on Sunday.

Martin's ninth-inning, tie-breaking home run off Orioles closer Jim Johnson opened the flood gates, pushing the Yankees to a wild 7-2 win in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. Camden Yards' largest crowd of the year sat through a nearly 2 ½-hour rain delay, only to head for the exits when a tight game got out of control in the ninth. ...